Information technologies represent the foundation of modern development. They develop our possibilities, help the general development and availability of information, cut costs in means and time, enabling a world full of potential and creation. They are important for democracy, freedom, business and every social field, helping us as a community to change the world for the better, said Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in the address at the 5. meeting of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, held Monday in Ohrid.

According to Gruevski, ICT development is on the list of the Government's priorities, whereas ambitious goals are successfully implemented by the Ministry of Information Society.

"Only one percent of Macedonian households used broadband internet in 2006, with the percentage rising to 46.35 by the end of 2011", said Gruevski.

Mexican businessmen Carlos Slim, the Commission's co-chair, stressed the body's commitment to promote broadband internet as the basic infrastructure for achievement of the goals within the global development agenda 2015.

"Today's meeting in Macedonia represents a good opportunity to see how this agenda is implemented in the regional context", added Slim.

He emphasized the effect of broadband internet and new technologies in the development of SMEs, which represent the generators of global economic development and job opening.

"Broadband internet significantly helps these businesses in the improvement of productivity, enlargement of operations and opening of new markets. Although this is a global trend, there are still countries where limited access to broadband internet represents an open obstacle for their development", said Slim.

Commission co-chair, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame opened the working session of the meeting.

"We are aware of the enormous possibilities of broadband internet as a stable foundation for successful and sustainable economic development. We should focus our activities towards involving all global players, to ensure these benefits are not marginalized or left to the sheer struggle for profit", said Kagame.

According to him, the coming UN summit dedicated to sustainable development represents an opportunity for the Commission to work on mobilizing the global leadership over the increased availability worldwide, thus meeting the 2015 development agenda.

"This includes the necessity to find higher forms of cooperation in all walks of life - healthcare, education, agriculture, energy, environment", stressed Kagame.

The Broadband Commission for Digital Development meeting conclusions will be presented later in the day.

The Ohrid event brings together CEOs of world's largest IT companies such as Intel, Ericsson, Telefonica, Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei Technologies etc.